There are many sling or brace type apparatus present in the prior art, for supporting and immobilizing an arm or shoulder; examples of which can be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,214,579; 3,404,680; 3,103,216 and 4,188,944.
While the aforementioned, and similar devices, are adequate for their intended purpose, they do share one major inherent dificiency, in that they all must be worn outside of a persons clothing, in order to function in their intended manner. Another common problem with this type of device is that they immobilize the arm to such an extent, that the user cannot exercise the affected limb while the brace or sling is in place. In addition, the prior art devices are usually so complex in their construction, that the user cannot affix the brace to their bodies without assistance from another person.
A common affliction among stroke victims is a sub-luxed or separated shoulder. While there are some instances where surgery can correct this condition, there are many more instances where surgery is neither practical nor desirable.
As a result, people who suffer from inoperable sub-luxed shoulders, have in the past, had to be satisfied with the slings or braces which were available, along with their attendant drawbacks.
The present invention however, addresses the problems presented by the prior art devices, and solves them with a simple sling arrangement, that is particularly well suited for this type of an affliction.